


I like-like you

by plumblossomed



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24995821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumblossomed/pseuds/plumblossomed
Summary: AU: Zuko becomes the Fire Lord at an even younger age and when he finally meets Chief Hakoda’s daughter, he is struck by her beauty, power, and poise.Or, Zuko has his first crush and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 231





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi HAHA I’m still very dedicated to the sasusaku fandom, but I wanted to post zutara fics too now that I’ve been rewatching avatar hope no one minds T-T so obviously this is my first zutara fic hope it turned out ok!!

Zuko sighed as he dropped to sit on the foot of his bed, taking down his hair and removing some of his outer layers of clothing. He was in _trouble_. 

Fire Lord Zuko, the young and pure Zuko who had been thrust into power after his father and sister met their mutual demise in an explosive Agni Kai. Zuko had sustained injury, resulting in his prominent scar, when he tried to put a stop to their duel. But the battle raged on, both family members too incensed by uncut ambition to listen to reason. Uncle had to drag him away from the scene to protect him further. It made sense that two of the strongest fire benders would be the ones to extinguish the other’s light. 

Fire Lord Zuko, who wasn’t ready to take power and still heavily leaned on his uncle’s wisdom and support. Fire Lord Zuko, who was hardly an adult and still had plenty of growing up to do. Fire Lord Zuko, who was panicking at the strange feelings bubbling up inside of him — his first crush.

He had been notified that Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe was a formidable, but modest man and would be traveling with his two children as his main companions. The two leaders had yet to have the pleasure of meeting, so Zuko could not have predicted this, could not have prepared himself to be faced with the most beautiful girl in all the nations. 

If someone had just _told him,_ “By the way, Katara is stunning and will rip your insides apart both literally and figuratively, so watch out,” then maybe Zuko could have practiced his introductions more carefully and avoided stuttering like a bumbling fool. 

But he was born unlucky, cursed to be...like this. 

“Chief Hakoda,” he had greeted easily upon the family’s arrival, “I’m pleased to meet you and welcome you to the Fire Nation. I hope your travels were smooth.” But as the party drew closer, close enough where Zuko noticed the particular shade of blue in the girl’s eyes, he stumbled. “I see you’ve brought your...your, um...your family. They are also most, uh, honored. Honored guests. Your two children. Both of them.” 

Hakoda must have chalked his bumbling speech up to nerves — Zuko was so very young — and he chose to greet him warmly. 

Oh _spirits,_ he knew how to greet other leaders, but how was he supposed to greet...a _girl?_

Luckily, her brother gave a rather informal introduction and promptly asked where he could locate a snack or, if Zuko was feeling generous, a seven course meal. “Oh yeah, and this is my sister, Katara.” 

“You’ll have to excuse my brother. If you’re wondering, yes, he’s always like this.”

Zuko was wary of sisters, he had been royally screwed over by his own. He was even wary of girls in general after seeing how crazy his sister and her friends were. 

But he could tell immediately that Sokka and Katara were dramatically different from Azula and himself. His heart squeezed a bit at the thought of what could have been, but he pushed it aside and transitioned into the welcoming host that he had been training to be. He really was glad to have them there — it was a true benchmark of the peace and cooperation spreading across all four nations.

Thankfully Uncle, always there to save the day, came around the corner and offered tea like it was the most natural thing in the world. (And to him, it probably was.) 

“How was your trip?” he asked warmly while guiding them in the right direction. “Not too bad, I hope. It must be nice not getting seasickness!”

Hakoda chuckled, “Yes, it wasn’t anything that we’re not used to. The Fire Nation is a bit far, but the journey was worth it.” Crossing the open ocean with his two children was really only missing one thing. 

Pulling a piece of jerky from seemingly out of nowhere, Sokka joked, “Yeah, sometimes the water got a little _jerky,”_ and then remembering where he was he became serious, “but nothing the Water Tribe can’t handle.” He took a bite of his snack and Katara rolled her eyes. 

“Even when the sea isn’t feeling kind, Sokka and I are able to steer easily thanks to Katara’s help.”

Zuko spoke up, “Oh, are you a ship captain?”

Katara smiled at him, “No, I’m a waterbender.”

_Duh. Of course_ she was a waterbender. But also, why didn’t anyone tell him that not only was she pretty but she was a waterbender too? Those lengthy council meetings couldn’t have included just a little debrief on this girl? 

“Oh. That’s cool. I’m a firebender.”

“Makes sense.” 

He needed to get it together before someone would be able to waterbend the sweat off his palms. 

Thankfully the conversation was cut short by their arrival to the tea room. Surrounded by red, black, gold, and the smell of herbs, Zuko felt instantly comforted. As they settled around a low table, he found himself wondering what Katara would look like in Fire Nation red. Probably cute. 

He was shaken from his daydream by his uncle asking the room if they preferred jasmine or chamomile. “Even though this is supposed to be an official trip, I hope you can still enjoy some more leisurely activities during your stay. All work without play makes your day become gray,” he said wisely. 

  
“Tonight, we have a banquet planned in your honor,” Zuko chimed in, “but the meetings tomorrow should only take up part of the day.”

“I’d hope so,” said Hakoda good-naturedly, “this tea is fantastic and I’ll need some more in the coming days.”

“It’s Uncle’s specialty, I’m glad you enjoy it. We’ll have to give you a tour of the grounds.”

“Speaking of a tour, wouldn’t you say the garden is very nice? Rather romantic don’t you think? Why don’t you take Katara there, she’d certainly enjoy the, uh, water in the pond!” Iroh wore many hats: loving uncle, wise advisor, fierce warrior, and now, insightful matchmaker. 

But Katara didn’t sense the awkwardness, her face lit up at the mention of _water,_ as if they hadn’t spent ages at sea _._ “A pond! I’d love to see it! Oh, and I’m sure the garden is lovely.” 

“Excellent! Zuko, why don’t you guide her there? I can show our other guests the weaponry.” This time, it was Sokka’s turn to light up like a firecracker. 

While normally Zuko would find it very sensible of his uncle to delegate tasks like this, he was feeling a little resentful that he was forced into a situation that made him so unbelievably _nervous._

Alas, he had a duty to perform. He stood up and gestured, “Let’s go.” 

Katara made small talk the whole way, asking questions about the palace and its history and the weather. Zuko was relieved that he knew all the answers. He should show her the library too. 

“Do you come to this pond often?” She cringed, feeling like she was dropping a pick up line, but she really did want to know why Iroh suggested it out of all places.

“Not so much lately, but I used to sit in the gardens all the time with my mother.” 

She didn’t respond except to smile at him with a genuine, meaningful warmth in her eyes. 

The garden was even more breathtaking than she expected it to be, and the glittering pond was just begging her to come closer. It was so lush and just different from what she was used to (snow, snow, and more snow) that she couldn’t help but let her mouth hang open in awe. 

Zuko led her to the usual spot without thinking much of it. She gasped in delight when she saw the little creatures gliding through the pond, “And just what do we have here?” 

“They’re turtleducks. They’re cute, but don’t mess with them too much. The mother turtleduck can be feisty.” 

But Katara was only half listening, having fun making little waves to gently lift the babies. They kept swimming up to the edge of the pond, quacking as if they were saying, _more, more, more!_ Their mother watched safely from the other side of the pond, but she never swam over to intervene. “They are really cute!”

“Oh,” he said, sounding clearly surprised, “they like you.” 

* * *

The dinner that night was festive and bright, but left Katara feeling pretty tired. While foreign, the Fire Nation palace was rather comfortable. After such a long trip to get there, the riot of new sights, sounds, and smells, and perhaps a little too much food all at once, gave Katara the sense that she’d sleep easily that night. 

She had a certain amount of trepidation visiting the Fire Nation, but it really was nothing but pleasant so far. It didn’t hurt that the Fire Lord, rather than being old and stuffy and weird, was _very_ cute. He was probably also, uh, really good at his job and at firebending. Or something. 

As she settled into the fluffy pillows and drew the deep red comforter closer, she thought that if she saw him in her dreams, she certainly would not mind. She counted turtleducks in her head before drifting off.

* * *

While Uncle’s company was normally more than enough (and on a bad day, too much), but the morning after meeting the lively Water Tribe family felt distinctly empty when they had yet to arrive at the table. 

Zuko sipped his tea, not yet cold, but it felt like so much time had passed since he sat down that it might as well have been. “Where are they? It’s been...many minutes! Do you think they just decided to jump ship and head back to the Southern Water Tribe?” 

“Patience, patience. I’m sure once the scent of breakfast and the greatest tea in all four nations wafts over to their rooms, they will come running.” 

“Maybe we should wake them up.”

“Why the rush?”

  
  
“Shouldn’t we at least check? What if they died?”

“I would hope not.”

“What if a faction is conspiring against us and killed all of them — and will frame us for the murder?! This will launch another war that we are responsible for.”

“That would be very bad!” He could see the gears turning in his nephew’s mind, so he decided to play along to help placate him. 

Zuko stood up abruptly, shaking the table, “We can’t just sit around and wait. I’ll check on Katara. You go look for the others.” He stormed out of the room before Iroh could even object. 

Not that he would, though. Seeing his nephew take action was very pleasing.

* * *

He marched all the way across the palace to the guest bedrooms, but before he knocked on Katara’s door, he stopped in his tracks like an invisible wall was in his way. Initially so confident in his decision, he was now filled with uncertainty. What would he do if he really found Katara’s limp, poisoned body laying on the bed? 

Or worse: what if he barged in and she was _naked_ because she was in the middle of changing?

He took a deep breath to center himself. There was no use in panicking. He could do this. He had faced more intimidating enemies, more foreign situations. 

But the longer he thought about it, he realized he had never had to deal with a girl. 

Best case scenario, she was in there with a great explanation as to why her family was late to breakfast and his nerves would be soothed like putting aloe on a sunburn. Yeah, he would go with the most ideal situation for now.

Maybe he should still practice, just in case.

“Hello, Zuko here!” 

The looming wooden door didn’t respond. 

“Good morning! Um, no, that’s not right. What if she’s having a bad morning? Uh, how do you do there? How is the Fire Nation treating you? Too formal, she’s not a dusty old diplomat.” His shoulders drooped. He needed to get this done before Uncle (or her own family members) came and interrupted him. This was his chance. His chance at what exactly, he wasn’t sure, but he was just going to go for it.

He knocked sharply, loud enough to wake any long-slumbering air bison. Just for good measure, he called out, “It’s Zuko!” And all his hemming and hawing and practicing was really for nothing because not long after, Katara flung the door open.

Without her hair tied back, it ran wild and curled around her face. Her eyes, normally so wide and crystal clear, were half shut and bleary with sleep. “Yes?”

“Yes! Hello. Uh, good morning. I just wanted to see if you would be joining us for breakfast this morning.” He added a little more quietly, but also a little more like himself, “I was getting worried.”

“Good morning,” she nodded. “What time is it?” 

Zuko glanced around, “I’m not exactly sure, but the sun is up.”

Katara gave him a small smile, “I see. Well, have you ever considered that not everyone rises with the sun?” Or code for, _firebender, can’t you see I’m tired?_

He immediately started apologizing, feeling a blush creep up his neck. He had interrupted her hopefully peaceful sleep because he was missing her at breakfast. Nice one. 

Katara held up a hand to stop him, then scrubbed it over her face to wake herself up more, “It’s really fine. We’re guests here and should be running on your schedule. I can be ready in a minute.”

“We’re hosts and should be more accommodating. I’ll leave you to it, breakfast won’t go anywhere without you.” He turned away, feeling a little silly for freaking out, but Katara’s voice stopped him.

“Actually, Zuko?”

“Yes?”

“Can you maybe wait here for me? I don’t want to get lost on my way to breakfast. You know, that would just waste more time,” she laughed awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“I’ll be here.” He was still smiling widely when she shut the door in his face.

* * *

“Your first full day here, is there anything else you’d like to do?” Iroh asked when everyone was finally gathered for breakfast. The meetings were purposely scheduled for after lunch when the sun was high in the sky and all the grumpy old advisors were in their best moods. 

Sokka attempted to be casual, “Well I don’t know about everyone else but I’m feeling like I could stretch my legs some more. Like, _sure,_ we got to see the armory and it was _super_ cool. But! It would be infinitely _cooler_ if we could actually, you know, play.” 

Zuko lit up like a match, “We should spar!” 

Sokka backpedaled, waving his arms around, “Woah, woah, woah! Nonbender versus Fire Lord? Do you see the problem here?” 

Iroh spoke with pride, “My nephew here is not only a talented firebender, but he is also trained in the art of the sword, the dao sword.” 

“So he can make fire _and_ he has two swords? Kind of unfair, but not scary enough for me to decline. But no bending!” A true warrior never backed down from a challenge. 

* * *

While a club and a boomerang might not seem like much, Zuko quickly realized he’d have to keep his guard up if he wanted to put up a decent fight. And it had absolutely nothing to do with looking cool in front of one out of the three members in the audience. Wouldn’t any sister want to see her brother get it handed to him anyway?

By the time they threw the towel in, Zuko could feel the sweat dripping down his back. So much for being invigorated by the sun. It was reassuring to see Sokka crawl back to sit next to his father. 

As he put away his swords and took a refreshing drink of water, Katara stood up, “Don’t think we’re done here.”

He raised his eyebrow, “Your waterbending versus my firebending? You’re on.” He was tired but definitely still had some fight in him. It would be dishonorable to refuse. 

As soon as they started, Zuko’s eyes widened. Okay, so by now he knew she was a waterbender, but seriously, why didn’t anyone tell him that she’s a _master_ waterbender? Honestly, you’d think this girl would have built up a reputation across the nations. Based on the wide-eyed palace staff watching from the corners, she was definitely going to earn one in the Fire Nation. 

Giving as much as he got, they danced around in circles for what felt like ages. Katara was a resilient, dynamic fighter and Zuko hadn’t felt so challenged in ages. He didn’t want to end the match because he wanted to keep studying her. It was rare for him to be able to battle a waterbender, let alone one so capable. 

But Zuko’s fire had caused most of Katara’s water supply to evaporate and she was running out of places to draw from. In a last ditch effort to come out on top, she quickly made a razor thin water whip and managed to land a hit on the side of his face. His fire faded away into shimmering heat almost immediately. 

He didn’t see it coming — really, the whip was so thin and came on his scarred side, so he was mostly stunned when it cut into his cheek. Katara gasped as she saw rich red blood start to drip out of the wound. 

Gathering what was left of her water, she rushed up to him and immediately got to work healing, “I am so, so sorry. I wasn’t seriously trying to hurt you, I thought you’d block it like you blocked everything else. I’m really sorry, Zuko, I feel terrible.”

But he harbored no resentment. It was an exciting match and he was still too shocked to feel real pain besides the soreness in his muscles. 

And the cut had landed just beneath his scar, so Katara’s hand covered the bottom part of it too. No one had bothered to touch him there in a long, long time, let alone heal him. 

“Katara,” he said softly. She was so focused on apologizing that she hadn’t realized the cut was long gone. Healing water was useless on his scar at this point. But he didn’t mind anymore. The burnt skin was less sensitive than the rest of his face, but he could still feel the cool relief seeping into him.

She jumped back, letting the water splash to the ground between them. “Right, sorry. Again.” 

He chuckled, “It’s okay. I didn’t know you could heal. What can’t you do?”

“Uh, firebend. I’m no avatar! So that means I can’t earthbend or airbend either. Would be awfully convenient if I could.”

“Right, me neither. I mean, I can’t waterbend, that is. I can firebend. But you already knew that.” 

“Yes! I did, I did. You can also fight with swords, though, and that’s another thing I can’t do. So I think a better question would be what _can_ I do, you know?” 

Sokka, growing tired of their lame jokes, interrupted from the side, “So who’s hungry?”

Zuko, though worn out, wasn’t feeling particularly hungry because it seemed that a colony of butterflies had decided to occupy his stomach. 

* * *

After cleaning up and taking a quick lunch, they sat through a series of meetings that left Zuko a bit weary, but hopeful. The nations working together peacefully was truly a dream come true. He had watched wistfully as Hakoda encouraged and listened intently to the suggestions of his two children. At least Uncle always valued his opinion. 

Before dinner, the young man was finally allowed to have a moment alone with his thoughts, and they turned to Katara. He wandered aimlessly through the palace halls. Maybe he should seek her out? But for what reason, didn’t they just spend hours together? 

The decision was made for him, though, when he nearly bumped into her as he rounded a corner. He reached out to grab her arm to steady her. For a waterbender, her skin was awfully warm. 

“Oh, Zuko! I was actually just looking for you.”

“You were?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice even though he was too, kind of. 

“I had a question for you. The Southern Water Tribe is expanding at a pretty fast rate, but I still feel like we’re missing _something_. And I think it would help if we had some sort of library, you know, for future generations to look at and learn from. I’ve been gathering things, but most of our history has been told through oral histories. Would the Fire Nation happen to have…?”

  
It was a valid question, given the way the Fire Nation had plundered the other nations. Zuko nodded in understanding, “I can show you the library. If you see something you think would be helpful, it’s yours.” It was the least he could do to start making up for years of mistreatment. Ozai had done so much damage. 

The royal library was truly worthy of marvel and Katara probably could have spent ages inside, but she had a mission. Without her needing to ask, Zuko led her to the relevant section. The fact that the library had a section at all was pretty hard to wrap her mind around.

“Wow, if I were you I’d just spend all day in here.”

“Yeah, I wish. But I’ve got a job to do and I don’t know how much a book can teach me about it,” he said with a hint of bitterness. He knew there were plenty who opposed his rule, criticized his every move, but he couldn’t hide from them.

“Well I think you’re doing a great job,” she said with an easy smile before pulling out a title. She gave out compliments like water, but it still felt nice to be on the receiving end of one. Despite it being a passing comment, Zuko couldn’t help but dwell on it as she scanned the pages. The sincerity of it struck him most acutely. 

As they went up and down the rows, Zuko toyed with the idea of offering to carry her growing stack of books. Would that come across as polite or suggest that she wasn’t strong enough? Is it hot in here? Would his hands singe the pages? Do they have to be quiet since it was a library? Should he say something? 

Luckily, Katara swung around to look at him sheepishly, “If you don’t mind, can I take these home with me?” 

“It would be my honor if you took them back to their rightful place.” It was a good thing his father never decided to burn down the library.

* * *

Zuko’s eye sockets hurt. He had experienced a lot of kinds of pain during his young life, but this was a new one. He kept trying to look at Katara during dinner without actually _looking._ He couldn’t put his finger on why he was so interested in looking at her rather than something like his plate of food, but it was hard to balance normal conversation with the desires of his eyes, traitorous things. 

It had been a long time since so many people he actually liked were at the dinner table. Of course Hakoda, Sokka, and Katara would have to go back eventually, but he would miss them. If anything, he definitely made some friends. 

* * *

Uncle tried to get everyone to play pai sho that night, but it only stuck with Hakoda and Sokka. While their strategizing was admittedly impressive, Zuko just didn’t have the patience to keep watching. He noticed that Katara had stepped outside for some air, so he decided to join her.

She sat on the ground looking up at the sky — brilliantly clear with bright stars and an even brighter moon. 

“Can I join you?”

  
  
“Of course.”

Zuko nodded and settled himself in a similar position to Katara: cross legged, face turned towards the inky night sky. While not the familiar warmth of the sun, the moon really was beautiful. He turned to look at Katara and was struck by the way her profile looked illuminated by moonlight. He noticed that her hand was up by her neck, playing with the necklace she never seemed to be without. She wore a thoughtful expression and Zuko had to take a deep breath before speaking again. Despite the success and geniality of the trip, he could imagine that her family had mixed feelings about coming to visit. 

“Katara?” 

“Yeah?” She turned to look at him. Another breath. 

“How are you?” 

She smiled faintly. “I’m alright.” She let her hand drop to her side. 

* * *

Zuko shuffled into his room, feeling very ready for a nice night of sleep after such a long day. 

He removed his crown, his hair falling loosely around his face like a waterfall. When he took off his headpiece, he was really just a teenager, not even an adult yet. He changed into pajamas and laid back on his bed, allowing himself to think teenage thoughts, ponder teenage problems. What was he to do about Katara? Or, how would he confront his feelings for Katara?

Zuko was, in a word, confused. He wasn’t sure what these feelings even were, let alone how to deal with them.

There was no one he could turn to; his options were severely limited. Ask Uncle? Yuck, never. Besides, he’d say something that Zuko wouldn’t be able to puzzle out until after Katara had left, like reading the tea leaves. Sokka was near his age, but he was Katara’s _brother_. When he asked Zuko for tips on landing “the Fire Nation’s hottest babes,” it was cemented that Zuko could not ask him for anything, really. 

And then there was his greatest challenge, Katara herself. He couldn’t force her to return his feelings, and she very well could want nothing to do with him beyond a friendly political alliance. Even if his mother, father, or sister were here, he wouldn’t be able to consult them. No, this was something he had to figure out on his own. This time there was no war to be won, no battle to be planned. This situation was like a fire lily: if it wanted to bloom, he would be pleased. But he couldn’t do much besides water it and hope for it to respond. 

But the more he thought about it, the more he was certain that he liked Katara. Like more than a friend. He had a crush on her. He had feelings for her. He like-liked her. Whatever you wanted to call it.

Oh boy.

* * *

He woke up restful night’s sleep thinking about her. He groaned.

Oh yeah, he was in trouble. 

He stretched and got dressed. Might as well go to breakfast with a smile on his face, even if he probably looked like an idiot. While still pleasant, the morning meal was quieter than their other ones. It felt strange to have to say goodbye already. And, oh-so-conveniently, right when Zuko had a better grip on these feelings of his… 

But just like that, the visitors’ time in the Fire Nation had come to an end. For now. 

Zuko was confident that their visit created a strong foundation to build a better relationship on. They would probably be seeing each other some time soon. And they could send letters, friendly ones that lacked the normal formality of political correspondence. This was far from the last they’d be seeing of each other, something he found great comfort in. 

“Thank you, Lord Zuko, it’s truly been a pleasure. It brings me peace of mind to know the Fire Nation is in good hands. We’ll see you again.” Hakoda’s words were brief but Zuko couldn’t deny the wave of validation he felt after hearing them. Maybe he was doing a half decent job after all. 

“Now that we’ve been here, don’t be surprised if we pop in every so often. Oops, lost control of the ship and ended up on Zuko’s door step! Don’t blame me, blame the ocean spirit! Thanks, buddy.” That morning’s breakfast spread alone was enough to keep him coming back. And Katara didn’t seem to mind, so all was well, right? 

“I’ll keep the rooms ready for you,” Zuko promised while shaking Sokka’s hand. The boy followed his father onto their ship, leaving Zuko to face Katara. As much as she looked forward to returning home, she was glad she was the last one to get on board. 

“So…”

“You got everything?”

  
  
“Seems like it.”

  
  
“That’s good. Even the books?”

  
  
“Yup, even the books.” 

“Good, good. Well...I’ll see you...later?”

“Definitely. You’ll have to come visit the Southern Water Tribe soon,” Katara said sweetly, playfully. 

The promise dancing in her eyes made Zuko feel something undeniable: hope. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko visits the Southern Water Tribe for the first time and obviously loses it around his crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is pure cringe so if you don’t like that perhaps try another fic LMAO anyway hope everyone’s doing alright!!

They weren’t even off the boat before Zuko started shivering. 

This time,  _ someone  _ with a brain thought to warn him about what he was going to be faced with, but that still didn’t prepare him enough. Visiting Katara — and Sokka and Hakoda, of course — was unnerving enough, but this new, vicious climate seemed like it was out to get him. The icy winds seemed to know he was a firebender, they seemed to want to drive him away. Maybe they were doing him a favor, telling him not to embarrass himself. 

He planted his feet stubbornly on the deck of his ship, where he had been camped out since they first spotted land through the fog, to show that he wasn’t going  _ anywhere.  _

Iroh shook his head at his stubborn nephew. “Zuko! At least come inside for a moment to drink some tea, it will warm you from the inside out.”

“I-I’m fine,” Zuko insisted, but no one could miss the way his teeth chattered.

“You standing outside will not make this ship go any faster, my nephew.”   
  
“Yeah, if only that were the case,” he grit through his teeth. He had been itching to see the waterbender that had captured his heart only a few months ago and he was determined to catch sight of her as soon as they got close enough. 

His resilience soon paid off when tiny figures cloaked in blue materialized through the gray fog. They seemed to spot each other at the same time because one of them started waving widely and another began jumping up and down in place. Zuko waved back, hoping they could make him out against the dark ship. 

They didn’t stop waving until the ship docked against the thick ice. Zuko ran up against the railing, smiling at his friends standing waiting for him. He was truly happy to have a good relationship with the Southern Water Tribe. Hopefully they could chip away at those chilly folks up north… 

He started rushing to walk off the boat, but promptly slipped on an ice patch and fell directly on his bottom. Yeah, great, this was going super well already. He could hear Sokka and Katara’s laughter so he shook his head, stood up and wiped himself off. 

When he finally made it to dry land (if ice can be considered dry), he was immediately gathered up in a hug. Okay, okay, so he wasn’t just imagining it. These people  _ were  _ his friends.

“It’s good to see you, buddy,” Sokka clapped him on the back. 

Katara nodded and his heart ached at the way her blue eyes were even more stunning in person than he remembered. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

He bowed, “Thank you for having me.” When Iroh elbowed him he remembered, “Oh and we brought gifts.” 

Some of the gifts were practical, like things you could only get on the mainland, some were fun. And if Zuko had added some official courting symbols like a comb with a fire lily carving, then so what! No one would be the wiser. 

“Your generosity only strengthens the bond between our nations. We’re flattered and grateful,” Hakoda said.

Zuko was about to say something else diplomatic in return when he noticed small white flakes started obscuring his vision. They fell from the sky as far as the eye could see. “What..is this?” he asked in confusion. 

“Oh wow, I forgot you’ve never seen snow before!” Katara watched amusedly as Zuko stuck his palms out and tried grasping the dainty flakes before they melted on his warm skin.

“This is the first time,” he confirmed. “It’s very beautiful.” His amber eyes were wide with wonder and Katara was pleased that something so simple yet so classic about her home could impress him.

“Try sticking your tongue out,” Sokka said. Zuko followed quickly and the siblings laughed when he grew frustrated at the way the snow seemed to fall everywhere but on his tongue. 

Katara grabbed Zuko’s wrist, “Come on, you can taste it better over here!” She pulled him away and stopped about half way between where his boat was docked and the village. They were surrounded by untouched white fluff and nothing else. Sokka had stayed behind to poke around the Fire Nation ship and Hakoda was cracking dad jokes with Iroh.

They were totally alone. Not that Katara had planned it, no way, she just figured Zuko would enjoy a moment of privacy. With her. Yeah. 

She scooped up a pile of snow and instructed him to do the same. With Katara’s encouragement he took a big bite out of the snow. “Why does something...that tastes like nothing...taste so good?” 

“Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe,” she gestured grandly, “we’ve got plenty more where that came from.” 

Zuko grinned. The snow was so soft and fresh and cold and unlike anything he had ever seen before! “I like it here,” he declared. 

Katara suddenly grew shy and turned around for a moment, pretending to become fascinated with a random pile of powder. 

_ Thump. _

She spun around in horror to see Sokka’s mouth hanging wide open because he had nailed  _ the Fire Lord in the face with a snowball.  _

Zuko was still for a moment, confused by the mass of snow sticking to his face. But then he started laughing. Laughing so hard that the rest of them couldn’t help but join in until their stomachs hurt. 

“Snowball fight!” Sokka hollered.

* * *

After they wore themselves out and flopped onto the ground to make a few snow angels, they finally made their way to the actual place Katara and Sokka called home.

As they got closer and closer to the small (but growing!) cluster of homes, Katara grew nervous. What would Zuko think of the Southern Water Tribe? Maybe he’d be disappointed by the lack of grandeur. Maybe he should’ve visited the Northern Water Tribe. Maybe he’d see Katara’s people as  _ peasants.  _

Her breath caught in her throat when he looked at her kindly and said, “It must be nice that you’re able to know all the people in your tribe.” Then he was whisked away by Gran Gran for the warmest Southern Water Tribe welcome he could get. 

She finally relaxed. Home was home, but she had never considered what a visitor might think of it. Similarly, she never thought about what she had that the Fire Nation might be missing. It must get a little lonely in that big palace. 

* * *

Zuko got an extremely Official tour of the Southern Water Tribe from Katara. She pointed out where everyone lived, where she first discovered she could waterbend, where Sokka lost a tooth biting an icicle. 

Describing some of their traditions came next; at first it was tough to explain what was all Katara had ever known, but she assumed everything was new to Zuko, so she continued patiently. He nodded frequently to show her he was listening but otherwise didn’t interrupt. 

After finishing explaining their coming-of-age ceremonies, they had circled back to her family’s tent and she exhaled, “Whew, that was a lot. Are you still with me?” 

“I didn’t know most of that,” he admitted with a tinge of embarrassment and twice as much awe. 

She shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to.” 

“We’ll put it in the textbooks,” he declared.

Katara laughed at his bravado, but then remembered he really had the power to do that. So young with so much weight on his shoulders.

“Glad to hear it. Come on, I think it’s time to eat soon. Hopefully you like sea prunes!” Seriously, if he didn’t like sea prunes he was in big trouble.

* * *

After a yummy dinner they sat behind her family’s tent, looking up at the clear night sky. Katara pointed out the constellations she knew, relaying the stories Gran Gran had told her. Zuko’s interest in Southern Water Tribe culture undeniably made her happy, proud. 

“I hope it’s alright that I’m here,” Zuko said seriously after a while. With the dark history of the Southern Raiders, he couldn’t help but feel like he was intruding no matter how good his intentions were. 

“It is with me. Trust me, you wouldn’t have gotten off that boat if it wasn’t okay,” she snorted. Before, Katara used to think if she had just been stronger, smarter, braver she could have helped. Growing up feeling deep guilt for her mother’s death pushed her to train hard everyday. She was more confident now, knowing that she honored Kya’s memory by being the best damn waterbender the Tribe had ever seen. She could protect the people who needed her. And she could even find a friend in the Fire Nation. 

His shoulders relaxed but he still poured all of his genuine energy into saying, “It’s truly an honor to be here.”

She nodded. “Thank you for saying that.” They sat in silence for a while longer with the clear sky keeping them company.

Now that the tension had melted away, a different kind of nervousness built up inside of Katara. “So…” she began slowly, meandering around her point, “you like it here?”

“Yes,” he answered quickly, looking directly into her eyes. 

“Good, I’m glad,” she said sincerely. 

“It’s just kind of, uh, cold.” 

“Yeah, it’s like that all the time. Um, how about now?” She chuckled nervously then decided to make a bold move and scoot closer to him until their sides were touching. When her heart skipped a beat, she wondered why in the world she did that. Be cool, be cool! 

He didn’t even allow much time for her to regret it because he started talking right away. “Body heat is very effective, yes,” he nodded vigorously even though she hadn’t asked him a yes or no question. 

“Yes, it is,” she agreed distractedly. “Zuko…you can, can we, do you want to-” 

And then he went for it.

He leaned his face closer to hers and bumped...uhh  _ some _ part of her face with his mouth. “Did I do it?” he wondered out loud. It was awkward and clumsy and not at all what he had hoped for, but they could only go up from here. Maybe he could pass it off as a sweet peck on the cheek? 

“Your lips are a little blue,” she pointed out as she tried suppressing a fit of giggles. He really wasn’t built for the cold, was he? 

Zuko tugged at one of her sleeves, “No,  _ you’re  _ blue.” 

She laughed behind her hand, touching her own lips to test their level of warmth. “We can try again.” Even if the kiss was nothing to write home about, he was  _ Zuko  _ and she just felt comfortable. 

Unfortunately, Sokka’s voice sounded through the wall at that moment, “I can hear you, you know. Can you two get on with it already?” 

“Then stop listening!” Katara grit her teeth and based on the sound of his garbled yelp, she must have bended some snow to stuff his ears. Normally, she was grateful for her close relationship with her brother, but right now, all she wanted was some space from him. 

She buried her face in her gloves, “Sorry about him.”

“What’s a guy gotta do to get some privacy? Go to the Earth Kingdom?” Zuko cried out. 

This helped lift Katara’s mood; she didn’t think Zuko realized how unintentionally funny he was. She nudged him, “Not a bad idea. I’ve never been there. Tell me how it is.”

And for all the progress they had made, Zuko still blushed and scratched the back of his head bashfully. “Uhh, why don’t you just come with me and find out? I’m headed there pretty soon, actually.” 

It was a nice thought, but she couldn’t help but put her guard up. “And do what exactly? I mean, who even am I outside of this place?” She didn’t mean to sound so existential, but this was all she ever knew.

“It’s up to you. Be whoever you want to be.” 

She chewed her lip and tilted her head thoughtfully. “Well what do you think? What would we do in the Earth Kingdom, for example?” She had a feeling he didn’t suggest a trip all the way across the world only as a fun little visit. 

“Do what you did in there.” He nodded his head towards the tent where they just finished dinner. He was amazed at the way Katara could advocate so passionately for her interests — and everyone listened. If she did that at just a normal dinner, she would be a force to be reckoned with if she had a little time to prepare for a real political arena. 

“If we’re to live in a fair world..well we need representation from all nations. There’s a leaders’ summit in Ba Sing Se a few weeks away and I can’t think of someone better to represent the Southern Water Tribe.” He had only just come up with the idea, but the more he mulled it over, the better it sounded. The summit part was true, but the organizers had not extended an invitation to the Southern Water Tribe, which was problematic for obvious reasons. Ready or not, Katara was coming. 

Katara nodded slowly. It wasn’t a bad idea. No, it was a great one. 

“And that’s not all,” Zuko added. “You could still practice bending and stuff.”  _ And stuff. Yeah, very convincing.  _

But that  _ did _ appeal to her and make her even more excited about the idea. “The only thing is, I have to ask my family.” 

Hakoda was all for it. No way he was letting the Northern Water Tribe speak for his people! He thought it best to remain in the village for the time being. He had full faith in Katara. And Gran Gran? She thought it was  _ about time _ . 

Sokka thought it was such a great idea that he wanted to tag along. Yay! It wasn’t like three’s a crowd or anything! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope this wasn’t too corny ajkdajsk but then again if u look at my track record, I mostly live for fluff so..idc xD, if you will  
> I feel like Zuko has so much respect for Katara so even if this is pure fluff the “Katara is only used as a romantic interest” thing doesn’t sit right with me!! So ambassador Katara is here!!

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I conveniently had Ozai and Azula take each other out HAHA now I don’t have to deal with them. I don’t know if I’ll post another chapter because I /could/ write about them visiting each other but idk. I’ll mark this complete for now, thanks for reading!! Idk if it’s too long but at this point I’m just like :]  
> Also, if you have a zutara twitter pls lmk/give me account recs!! I want to see more on my tl but it’s hard to find people esp when the zutara search is mostly people arguing lol and hopefully you either have a neutral or positive opinion of sasusaku <3


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